Enzymatic antioxidant activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase) and lipid peroxidation were determined in different tissues (gills, heart, digestive tract, liver, white muscle, skin, red blood cells, swimbladder) of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii). Total tissue antioxidant activity was, except for catalase, generally...

A newly discovered virus, Namao virus, associated with morbidity and mortality, was detected among juvenile lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens being propagated by a conservation stocking program for this endangered species in Manitoba, Canada. The outbreaks resulted in cumulative mortalities of 62 to 99.6% among progeny of wild Winnipeg River or Nelson River lake sturgeon and occurred at 2 geog...

Characteristics of the in vitro propagation of the white sturgeon iridovirus (WSIV) were examined in 6 sturgeon cell lines. One new cell line originating from gonadal tissues (WSGO) produced up to 12-fold more WSIV [approximately 22 TCID50 (50% tissue culture infective dose) cell-1], than that of a previously established reference spleen cell line (WSS-2). Infected WSGO cell cultures were exami...

In the Bay of Fundy, Atlantic sturgeon from endangered and threatened populations in the USA and Canada migrate through Minas Passage to enter and leave Minas Basin. A total of 132 sub-adult and adult Atlantic sturgeon were tagged in Minas Basin during the summers of 2010-2014 using pressure measuring, uniquely coded, acoustic transmitters with a four or eight year life span. The aim of this st...

INTRODUCTION The sturgeons of the Caspian Sea are considered highly valuable species. The Caspian Sea has traditionally been regarded as the sea of sturgeon since it produces more than 90 percent of the world’s caviar. Despite a remarkable decline of sturgeon numbers over recent years, the Caspian Sea still continues to be of considerable importance in sturgeon fisheries. In 1997, the global la...

Veronaea botryosa is a melanized mold and cause of systemic fungal infections in cultured sturgeon (Acipenser spp.). Mortality in adult female sturgeon caused by this emergent pathogen results in significant economic losses for the caviar industry. Little is known regarding environmental conditions conducive to V. botryosa infection. This study evaluated the effect of temperature on V. botryosa...

—Pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus and shovelnose sturgeon S. platorynchus are recognized morphologically as separate species. A previous genetic study with allozymes was unable to distinguish between the two species or demonstrate their reproductive isolation in regions of sympatry. Our main objective was to measure the genetic variability within and among populations of pallid and shovelno...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: All living organisms shed DNA into the environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that environmental water samples can be effectively assayed for the DNA of target organisms. The DNA contained in these samples is commonly referred to as environmental DNA or eDNA. Because DNA assays can be sensitive to very small amounts of genetic material, eDNA surveys have the potential ...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: All living organisms shed DNA into the environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that environmental water samples can be effectively assayed for the DNA of target organisms. The DNA contained in these samples is commonly referred to as environmental DNA or eDNA. Because DNA assays can be sensitive to very small amounts of genetic material, eDNA surveys have the potential ...

To determine the genetic origin of individual sturgeon that are morphologically intermediate to pallid (Scaphirhynchus albus) and shovelnose (Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus) sturgeon, we combined previously published mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite data with additional microsatellite data. Two sympatric populations of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon from the upper Missouri River and a...